How do you get your lead singer to stop smoking?

[Jaxsnake]

All you can really do is express your concern and maybe open his eyes to all the reasons for quitting. The problem is, regardless of how much you care, how strong a case you make, how much better his voice will sound and how much better he will feel, a smoker is not going to quit until they are ready. I haven't smoked for almost 20 years, but back when I quit it took 8 tries. (I once quit for almost a year, then had a bad day and went back to it . . . how stupid was that?) The time that I was finally successful, I knew it was going to stick because my head was in the right place and I wanted to kick the habit.

I think it's virtually impossible to create the desire necessary for someone to quit smoking for good because it has to come from within that person. Outside forces didn't matter much to me, but work on him positively and patiently and maybe his day will come.

By the way . . . after 20 years I still remember my last Camel Red, where I was and how I smoked it. Smoking is a strong addiction.

[atomic charvel guy]

nicotine is a s gripping as heroin. maybe more. the filter alone has over 107 chemicals in it that make them even more addicting. Philip morris and the
others are the personification of evil. i haven't had a Marlboro red in over a year now. cold turkey after 35 years of smoking them. it's the only way.
just drop it all. fuck the e-cigs too. why get chained to something else? there is no proof of that they do not some kind of damage as well. the juice that goes
into them is the same stuff that goes into airconditioning from what I heard, but that's not 100% reliable info either.

[jgcable]

I talked to him as a friend and not a bandmate this morning. His doctor called in a prescription for Chantix today. Thanks everybody!

[Jaxsnake]

A trick to share that worked for me . . .

The "association" times are hard. Like how he probably always has a cigarette after dinner, in the car on the way to work, at the last stoplight before work, first thing in the morning with coffee, during band practice breaks, etc. So I filled an empty pack of cigarettes with toothpicks and took one out whenever I had the urge. It gave me something to do that was similar to smoking, (there were no e-cigs back in my day), and helped with the "habit" part of quitting. I probably looked like a fool "puffing" on a toothpick, but it got me where I wanted to be.

[atomic charvel guy]

that's cool jaxsnake I like that. I digress, fuck e-cigs...............

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/24/business/selling-a-poison-by-the-barrel-liquid-nicotine-for-e-cigarettes.html?_r=0

[toejam]

Many " Pro" singers don't smoke, but end up not having the range they once had just because of age

Personally don't get the witchhunt on smoking, but hey, it's always nice to rub in peoples vices

Age is part of it, and Ray Alder has said as he's gotten older his voice has changed, but the guy still smokes (and drinks), and that has definitely affected his voice. He still has a very pleasant voice, but he doesn't quite have the range he used to. I know he said he doesn't want to sound so high-pitched like he did in the '80s and early '90s, that a lot of singers back then were ridiculous, but I think quite a bit of his higher range has definitely gone away due to smoking.

[VoiceX3]

Ok. This hits home for me. I was an extremely happy smoker. Started very young and smoked loyally for all my adult life. I always said if you try and quit when you don't really want to with 100% or your heart, you will fail so I never tried. Then one day, I do not remember the date, but it was the day I went to see Megadeth, Slayer and Testament a few years back in Camden I got a call on my walk in from the parking lot from my best man and long time drummer. He called to tell me that he had stage 4 bone cancer. That day I pledged to him that we would quit together and that after that pack I was done. He never had the strength to quit, and quite honestly it was far too late for that to help anything, and he's been gone for a little over a year and I miss him every day. It's been a couple years since I put out that last cigarette but I have never taken 1 drag since. I want one every day....that NEVER fades, but I made a promise and I intend on keeping it. My range was never really impacted by smoking, but I did find singing 3 sets became a bit easier. It has everything to do with self strength and willpower that is extremely hard to muster. If not for something so drastic I probably would have never quit.

Whatever you do, if you like him and want to keep him as your vocallist do not make ultimatums. If he does stay there will always be some sort of resentment that can ruin the chemistry you have. Be supportive, offer help, but don't act like his mother. It is an addiction...a very powerful one. And to quote the great Ace Frehely "Have you ever told someone to use willpower when they have diarreah?" It's that tough.

[Outlander]

It sounds stupid but it helps a lot to have something like a wooden dowel the same length as a cig. You can even make it look like a cig which helps...then when the urge gets bad put that wooden cig in your mouth. It sounds crazy but the tactile response habit is very strong as well.....This actually helps a lot, have your friend try it!!

[SEEGERMANY]

Poke that Walther in his piehole and tell'm "smoke on this, it'll be faster!"

[VitaminG]

steal his smokes
take a photo of your drummer's ass with one of your singer's ciggies hanging out of it
print photo and insert into cigarette packet
return packet to singer's jacket pocket
wait...